


That Chip on Your Shoulder

by Lord_Byron_Mudkippington



Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: Enemies to Friends, F/F, Fluff, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 02:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17841026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington/pseuds/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington
Summary: Iori desperately desires to become the best idol in all of Japan. She wonders if she has what it takes, though. At least in certain departments.





	That Chip on Your Shoulder

Iori's eyes cast upon the whiteboard, her gaze roaming it from side to side. All of their names were written off to the side and the days of the week up top. In large, neat boxes were their schedules, which was the exact thing she was staring at with such a critical look. She had started to notice something that had caught her off guard last week: Miki, the group's most lackadaisical member, was starting to gain more traction. It seemed as if she was getting more opportunities, which was rather baffling. She hadn't even known Miki to care enough about their idol duties to get up from the couch most days, and now she was appearing on cosmetics billboards like a sudden superstar. Maybe it had just been a fluke, though. It was only going to last one week: she had been sure of it.

Now it was the second week, and if anything, Miki's schedule was even more full. It rivaled her own group, Ryuuguu Komachi. She scowled and hugged her stuffed rabbit tightly against her chest. Seeing any of her fellow idols succeed was supposed to make her happy for them. That's what she'd thought would eventually happen when she joined 765 Productions, but she didn't feel that shared happiness. Instead she felt a surge of jealousy raging inside of her. Already she'd had to deal with those feelings cropping up when Azusa had started being asked to participate in more mature photoshoots, but they had some form of camaraderie together due to being in the same sub-unit. It was different when it came to Miki. A lot different.

Unlike with the relationship between herself and Azusa, she didn't get along with Miki. Their personalities clashed right off the bat, and she absolutely loathed being called 'Forehead Girl' whenever they interacted. It was a notion of disrespect, and it infuriated her. Back then she'd at least held an advantage of ability. She'd joined this production group overly confident in her own abilities, and she would have expected her own celebrity opportunities to run circles around someone like Miki. When she'd be chosen to join Ryuuguu Komachi, she'd felt even more sure. Now that she could see Miki's star growing within their group, it made her feel like her own success wasn't enough.

"Iori?" She jumped, whirling around to find Yayoi staring at her, her head slightly tilted in confusion. "Is there something wrong with the schedule?" She looked back at the schedule, staring at it for a few seconds. At least Yayoi hadn't realized what she was thinking about. It did just seem like she was staring at the whiteboard without a specific, obvious reason. That was a relief, since she didn't want to admit to what she was feeling. Jealously was not an emotion someone such as herself should be experiencing.

"No, not at all. I just wanted to make sure that everything was in order." Putting on her best smile, she turned towards Yayoi and nodded towards the studio door. "Since we don't have anywhere to be for a bit, would you like to go on a walk?" She needed to take a look around the city for herself: to see if Miki was really as omnipresent as her current schedule made her seem. Maybe she was just jumping the gun a bit. Surely a rude slacker like Miki couldn't be on her level of popularity. A quick walk around the city would prove it.

"Okay!" Yayoi smiled back, none the wiser. After letting Kotori know where they were going, the two of them donned their public disguises, and off they went. With all of their celebrity growing, none of them could go out in public as themselves. The amount of people that might swarm them, asking for autographs, could be tremendous. So far, the only one of them who had to deal with that was Makoto, since she had the worst disguise of the group. All she did was put on a big, stupid hat. She needed to be more discrete than that.

This wasn't about Makoto, though: this was about Miki. With her hands in her jacket pockets, she looked around for any sign of a familiar blonde. She decided it would be best to check out the spot where she'd originally seen Miki on the side of a building, advertising for an upscale brand of cosmetics. Maybe it would be gone now, replaced by a model who put more effort into their craft.

Yayoi followed along, enjoying being able to get some fresh air with her friend. She had to hold up the conversation, though, since Iori only seemed to be partially there. It was almost like she was on auto-pilot, just answering without any conviction. She just figured Iori had a lot on her mind, which wasn't a surprise. Being in Ryuuguu Komachi meant there was a lot of important stuff she had to do. If she was in a popular group like that, her mind would be all over the place too.

Adjusting the fake glasses she was wearing, Iori walked around the corner and looked up. She pursed her lips as she saw the same billboard as before: Miki, looking way too good for her own good, posing seductively with the brand plastered next to her. "Oh look, it's Miki!" Yayoi pointed excitedly at the advertisement, unaware of the unhappy aura now surrounding Iori. "Ooh, she looks good!" Iori just scowled and said nothing, but Yayoi wasn't the only one pointing Miki out.

"Wow, she looks great! She's the girl from that idol group, right?" Two young men were standing a short distance away from them, both of them also gazing at the billboard. The other man nodded, smiling brightly.

"Yeah! That's Miki Hoshii from 765 Productions. She's the coolest idol!" Iori's frown deepened as she tried to glare holes into the back of their heads. It was as if they were somehow deliberately trying to antagonize her. "Not to mention she's super hot." Oh, of course. She should have known that any fans of Miki would be drawn to a certain part of her 'personality'. Looking down at herself, she felt another stab of jealously at her petite features. It wasn't fair that Miki looked so much more mature when they were the same age. If she had that body, every company would be banging on her door, desperately trying to get her to be the face of their products.

"Oh yeah, whew." The first male whistled appreciatively. "I wonder if my girlfriend would want that stuff she's selling." She didn't listen to any more, turning around and storming off in a huff. The seeds of jealousy inside her mind were growing rapidly, and they were making it hard to think properly. All those stupid boys cared about was her body, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that Miki had eyes on her, which meant her popularity would continue to grow. It was only a matter of time before she was the face of 765 Productions, and the mere thought of that future made her itch with anger.

"Hey, wait up!" Yayoi had to run to catch up, holding the hat on her head to keep it from flying off. "Are we going back to the studio?" She glanced over at Iori, noticing the steamed look on her face. Something seemed to be bothering her, but she didn't know what it was. All they'd done was walk around for a bit and see Miki's new billboard. She couldn't think of anything that might've upset her, but she wished that she knew what it was.

"Yes. I've had enough fresh air." She became closed off for the rest of the walk, leaving Yayoi concerned, but with no way of prying her way in to ask what was going on. Iori didn't need to be consoled anyway. She was feeding off of her frustration, and it was illuminating to her. If Miki could get all of this attention, then surely she could be even more popular. All she needed to do was look as mature as she acted, and everything would change.

What she had now just wasn't enough. Being in a popular sub-unit within a production company whose own popularity was burgeoning was good, but it wasn't enough. She wanted more. She had to have more. If she wasn't winning, then what was she good for anyway?

* * *

Dinner that night with her parents was the same as always. She told them about how her idol career was going and what was on her schedule for the rest of the week. Her parents listened with relative interest, though she knew that what she was doing hadn't captivated them yet. No matter how good she felt she was, she was still an idol in training. Until she had graduated from 765 Productions and taken the entertainment world by storm, she would never hold the same attention from her family as her brothers did. They were already out in the world, making names for themselves and becoming overwhelming successes. They were both bringing excellence to the family name. For now, she was just the daughter who had embarrassed herself on national television with her overzealous attitude.

That was going to change, but she had to be the best in the group in order to have the best chance of success. She knew the length of time a professional idol had in the spotlight wasn't very long, and she had to make every second count. It wouldn't matter if all the effort she put into it was overshadowed by two giant mountains attached to some lazy blonde. She couldn't be the second-best idol in the studio: she had to be the best. To do that, she was going to have to beat Miki. To beat Miki, she was going to have to look more mature.

Later that night, she stood in her room, staring at her reflection in her vanity's mirror. She ran her hands down her nightgown, smoothing the non-existent creases. Her lips were pulled down into a slight frown as she gave herself a critical examination. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything she could do about her figure to make herself appear more mature. Unless she was about to go through an impressive growth spurt overnight, she wasn't going to catch up to Miki's curves anytime soon. Besides, she'd already made a fool of herself trying to fake that kind of mature look before, and she wasn't excited to go through that again. That couldn't be the end, though. There had to be something else

She gently touched her face, trying to imagine herself with makeup on. Her last attempt with makeup hadn't gone well, but she knew now that she went overboard previously. If she could give herself a subtler touch, then it might just make her look more mature. She didn't have that kind of knowledge when it came to makeup, but she knew someone who did. Picking up her phone, she dialed Azusa's number and put it to her ear.

"Hi Iori! Can I help you with something?"

"Hello Azusa. Yes, actually, there is. I was wondering if you could come over to my house tomorrow morning and help me apply a little makeup on."

"Makeup? How come?" She'd been afraid of that question. Though she'd tried to keep her tone casual, she'd had a feeling that Azusa would question her. Makeup wasn't really something she dabbled in, so it would obviously be a strange question. She couldn't admit the truth, though, so she had to come up with a convincing lie.

"I just wanted to give it a try." She felt that was appropriately evasive. It was merely a lie by omission, which wasn't really a lie at all. She just hoped that Azusa would drop the subject and just agree to her demands.

"Well, alright. I'd love to help." That went better than she expected. "Should I bring my makeup kit?"

"Yes. Thank you, Azusa." After hanging up, she smiled at her reflection. Now that she had Azusa agree to help her with makeup, she was sure to get the more subtle, mature look she needed that would attract a lot of attention towards her. Miki wouldn't be the only one having people doing double takes when seeing her on television. Even Azusa herself would have to worry about having a new challenger in their group. She could hardly wait to get the attention and adoration she deserved.

There was still one more thing she needed to do, though. Heading to her bedside, she picked up her stuffed rabbit and held him up, looking at his cute face with a twinge of regret. He stared at her blankly, but she could feel his judging eyes all the same. She couldn't let her fondness overtake her sensibility, though. If she wanted to be the best idol there ever was, then she'd need to make this sacrifice, no matter how hard it may be. Taking a deep breath, she started to walk over to her closet.

"I'm sorry, Charles. Stuffed animals aren't something that mature girls carry around with them." She opened her closet door and held out her rabbit, finding it hard to just put him down and walk away. Charles Donatello XVIII was no ordinary stuffed rabbit, and it made her feel guilty to hide him in the closet. To put him out of sight, out of mind was akin to throwing away her oldest friend. She had to do this, though. If she kept carrying him around to every photoshoot, she'd always be known as a young, cute idol. That was all well and good, but she knew her ceiling would be capped if she continued down that path. If she wanted to go even farther, she had to let her friend go.

Setting him down as comfortably as she could, she made sure that Charles wasn't in a place where she could see him. If she saw him every time she opened the closet, she'd break down little by little, until she ended up taking him back into her arms and carrying him everywhere she went. Perhaps just weening herself off of him would be more prudent, but she didn't have time for that. She was just going to have to go cold turkey and hope for the best.

Shutting the door, she headed back to bed. Azusa was going to come over in the morning, and she needed to be properly rested for her first day as the new, more mature Iori. She'd already picked out an outfit for tomorrow, leaving the makeup as the only thing left to do. Nestling under the covers, she closed her eyes and smiled. Tomorrow was going to be a great day.

* * *

She had an extra skip in her step as she walked into the building. Her pink and white-frilled dress wasn't an outside-the-box selection, but she'd felt a lot more mature in it after seeing the job Azusa had done with her makeup. It was indeed an understated look, but it gave her exactly what she'd been looking for. There was just enough that it was sure to be noticeable without being overbearing. She'd also decided to ditch her headband, wanting to have more of her forehead covered by her hair. Now there was no way Miki could call her Forehead Girl. To complete the ensemble, she'd decided to go with a smaller pair of heels. If this didn't scream 'mature' to the world, then she didn't know what she would do.

"Forehead Girl?" At the top of the stairs was Miki, dressed as casually and slobbish as ever. It was unfair how good she could look in something so simple. She couldn't lose her cool, though. Normally that insult would cause her to fall into a fit of rage, but she knew that having temper problems wouldn't help her right now. It was unsettling how many things about herself weren't mature, but she couldn't let that bog down her mind. She was putting that all in the past now, no matter how much Miki might try to wind her up. "Where's your forehead?" Apparently she was staring at her forehead, which was now being properly covered by her hair.

"I'm just trying a new hairstyle. Do you like it?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, closing her eyes with a self-satisfied smile on her face. Already she was feeling a well of confidence springing up inside herself. Miki was surely feeling the pressure up there.

"Hmm... Yeah, it looks nice." She just smiled down innocently, like it didn't even matter. Iori was seething on the inside, but she had to remain cool. Miki was trying to get to her, and she wouldn't allow it to work. "Hey, where's Charlie?"

"Huh?" At first, she didn't know what Miki was talking about. Then she looked down at her arms, where nothing was being held there. She was talking about the rabbit, which she annoyingly would call 'Charlie' instead of his full, proper name. It hadn't even occurred to her that someone like Miki would notice that he was missing, but she'd expected this question to be asked at some point during the day. She was already prepared with an answer.

"I believe you are referring to Charles, and I've decided to leave him at home from now on. I'm too mature for such childish toys." It hurt to say that, because she never wanted to say something so rude to her oldest friend. If she was going to convince everyone to buy into her new self, however, she was going to have to say it, no matter how much it hurt. Eventually everyone who asked would hear it, and she would have to say it without betraying any emotion. She was usually pretty good at that.

"Hmm, really?" Miki frowned slightly, peering down at Iori with a look that was very unlike her. It seemed too 'beyond her years'. What was all that about? "You look lonely without Charlie, though." Iori took a step back, feeling a cold chill go down her spine. Lonely? Her? There was no way. She couldn't possibly look like that! Miki was just saying that because she and all the other idols had seen her with Charles so much. They would get used to her presence sans rabbit.

"Well, you're mistaken." Huffing, she walked up the stairs to properly face Miki. She stared her down, but found herself without any words to say. Miki just kept staring at her, not seeming to understand what was going on. "I..." She instinctively pulled her arm closer to herself, as if hugging her rabbit to her body. Of course, there was no rabbit, but her eyes still strayed downwards regardless. She was so used to having him on her person that it felt alien to be without him. "I don't have time to stand her talking to you. I've got an audience to wow." Turning on her heel, she walked off towards the studio, refusing to spare Miki a second glance.

"Okay..." Miki watched her walk away, tilting her head in confusion. What audience was she even talking about? She'd seen the slight arm twitch, and it made her a bit concerned. Iori was a strange girl, but they were still together in this whole idol biz. She didn't want any of the group feeling down: not even Iori. Whatever was going on, that issue seemed beyond her depth. Without a clue on where to start, and with Iori already having walked away, she couldn't do anything but shrug and head into the studio after her.

Iori didn't spend too long with the others, as her and the other members of Ryuuguu Komachi were whisked away for a photo shoot. She sat in the backseat while Ritsuko drove, leaning against the seat with her eyes closed and arms crossed. Soon, one of them would mention her more mature aura, and she would get to introduce her new and improved self to them. They just needed to say something. It wouldn't do for her to be the one to mention it, even though she very much wanted to.

"Hey Iori..." Ah, finally. Mami spoke up, and Iori opened her eyes to glance in her direction. "Where's your bunny?" Ah... She really shouldn't have been surprised, but it frustrated her nonetheless. This wasn't the topic she wanted to have, especially not after her prior conversation with Miki. She didn't need more people telling her she looked lonely. That wasn't what she was going for at all! She couldn't let her temper get the better of her, though. This was the time for a calm, rational response.

"I left Charles at the house today. I felt that he didn't fit the more mature look I wanted for the shoot today." It still hurt to say that, but she made the words leave her throat. Now that she'd taken the topic towards maturity, she was hoping that they'd notice her looks. It would help if Azusa would point it out, since she had come over that morning to help her with the makeup. Then Mami would notice it with her usual enthusiasm, and even Ritsuko would have to admit that she was looking like a star. Having her approval would be such a huge step.

"Ah yes!" Azusa finally jumped in, looking into the back with an easygoing smile. "That makeup does make you look more mature, dear." Iori beamed with pride, sitting up even higher in her seat. That was the reaction she was looking for. Mami, meanwhile, leaned in closer, staring at her face in a pretty uncomfortable manner.

"Huh... You _are_ wearing makeup!" She sat back and frowned, crossing her arms as she kept staring at Iori's face. "That's weird."

"Eh?!" Iori's jaw dropped as she stared right back at Mami. "What do you mean it's weird?!" There was no way that it was weird! She'd looked at herself plenty of times in the mirror that morning and everything had looked just fine. Azusa had assured her of that as well.

"Well, you don't really wear makeup, and you always have Charles with you. Now you're wearing makeup and you don't have Charles with you. That's weird." Iori could hardly believe what she was hearing. Just because this was something new didn't make it weird. That wasn't fair! She shouldn't have to do something over and over because others had gotten used to it. Azusa just shrugged and returned to her regular seating position, leaving Iori alone in this fight.

"Ritsuko? What do you think?" It felt desperate, but she needed someone to let her know that what she had done would make a difference. Ritsuko's opinion mattered above all others in matters such as this. She would like it, right?

"Hmm? I'm sure it's fine, Iori." She wasn't even paying attention! Her eyes were still glued to the road, letting the conversation behind her move from one ear out the other. "Look sharp, girls. We're almost there." The conversation died off at that point, but it didn't leave Iori's brain. She didn't want to talk anymore anyway. Instead, she sulked and seethed in silence the rest of the ride. Things would change at the photoshoot. The cameramen would be desperate to get as many shots of her as possible. That would show them.

Her temper was still boiling inside her as she exited the car and walked with the others into the studio. She'd always had an issue with her temper, which caused her to often lash out at her fellow idols. That wasn't okay anymore, though. She knew that others found Azusa and Takane to be mature and grown up, for example, and neither of them were likely to get mad at anyone for any reason. It was tough, though. She just wanted to drag their faces down and make them see just how nice she looked. It would happen in time, though. She had to be patient, even if that was the last thing she wanted to be.

Once inside the studio, the girls went into the changing rooms and put on their outfits for the shoot. Iori felt herself buzzing with excitement, determined to make a good impression. If she just acted cool and composed, the camera would do the rest. They would have no choice but to recognize her as the top idol. Of course, first she had to wait for them to take photos of Azusa. They always chose her to take the first shots, which did make her jealous. It was just a theory, but she had two good guesses as to why they were also so interested in taking photographs of Azusa.

Her name was called next, and she sauntered up with a sway in her hips. She heard Mami snicker from behind her, but she ignored it. Someone like Mami wouldn't understand what it meant to be mature, unlike herself. She got up in front of the screen, letting the lights bathe over her body. It felt good to be there. That was where she belonged: underneath the spotlight, being watched and adored by so many people. There was no doubt her family would be proud of her when all was said and done.

She posed expertly, focusing her energy on looking as convincing as possible. Her eyes would occasionally look past the camera, towards the photographer, but his expression gave nothing away. She couldn't tell whether or not he was really feeling her new look. Could he even tell there was a difference? Surely he, like any of their other cameramen, would be aware of her previous photoshoots. There was obviously a difference. It had to be true!

She tried to keep her spirits strong even after her solo shots were finished. They still had the group photos to take, and she tried to convince herself she would stand out even when being next to Azusa. She put her all into those photos, but throughout the entire shoot, there was a thought in the back of her mind. It made her wonder if anything she had done was making a difference. Nobody had made any mention concerning her looks, or anything about her at all. Nothing but simple pleasantries. Oh sure, they were all over Azusa, but not her. It made it very hard to keep smiling.

She did continue to smile, at least until the photoshoot was over. After that, she withdrew into herself the entire way back to their own studio. Mami was talkative as always, but she couldn't be bothered to join in on the conversation. She was sulky and frustrated with everything that happened. Nobody had mentioned anything to her about her new look. They hadn't even asked her about Charles. She should've been glad that she hadn't had to explain where he was again and again, but it would've been better than nothing. At least in the moment. Why wouldn't they just pay attention to her?

* * *

Miki sat on the edge of the stage, her legs dangling as she drank from a cold water bottle. She, Haruka, and Chihaya had just finished recording for Are We Live?! Sunday, and now they were just hanging around for a moment before they were to head home. Throughout the entire recording, however, her mind had occupied with something else. Someone else, specifically. Though she had been as focused as could be during the broadcasting, in the back of the mind she was still thinking about Iori.

There was always something going on with that girl. Whether it was her self-important attitude or her runaway temper, she was always trying to pull the room's attention onto her. The two of them had never really gotten along, but she didn't actually dislike her. She didn't dislike anyone at 765 Productions. There was something different about Iori now, though. Over the past few days, it had seemed like she was fighting something, but like... inside herself: not a physical fight or anything. Seeing her without Charlie was really weird too. She never went anywhere without her cute little bunny. That didn't seem much like her.

"Hey Miki, it's time to go." Haruka came over, standing next to her with her hands behind her back. Miki nodded and stood up, capping her water bottle as she and Haruka walked over to Chihaya. "Is something the matter, Miki? You seem kinda spacey." It was something Haruka had noticed before they started recording, but she hadn't said anything until now, when she saw Miki sitting there with the same faraway expression on her face.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Forehead Girl." They met up with Chihaya, but Miki kept the conversation going regardless. "She's acting all weird."

"Who's acting all weird?" Chihaya frowned slightly, trying to understand what they were talking about that she'd apparently missed.

"Iori. I hadn't really noticed." Haruka rubbed the back of her neck, trying to think of what had been going on with Iori that was so weird. It made her feel a little guilty that she hadn't been paying as much attention to one of her friends as she probably should have. "Uhm... Okay, I don't know. What's going on?" She locked eyes with Chihaya, who shrugged. Neither of them knew what exactly was going on, so they both turned to Miki for an explanation.

"Haven't you noticed that she isn't carrying Charlie around anymore?" Both Chihaya and Haruka just stared at her, then each other. Realization then dawned on them, and they both had to think back over the last few days. Slowly the two of them nodded, realizing that they indeed hadn't seen that rabbit Iori had always carried around with her lately. "And she's covering her forehead with her hair now. She's not even Forehead Girl anymore. That's so weird!"

"Well, maybe she just wanted to make a change." Chihaya shrugged again, clearly not finding this as disconcerting as Miki did. "Everybody grows up at some point." It was probably for the best. Eventually lugging around a stuffed animal would turn from cute to concerning, and it was better for Iori to let him go before she reached that line.

"But..." Miki frowned, stuffing her hands in her pockets. She understood what Chihaya was saying, but it still didn't feel right. Why should Iori have to give up something that she loved? It wasn't hurting anyone. "It's not just that, though. She told me that she was too mature for Charlie, and she called him a toy. That just isn't like her." Out of all the bad things she had said towards other people, she had never once heard Iori say something negative about her rabbit. That was the one thing that seemed to be exempt from any criticism. The fact that she'd claim to be too mature for him was just too strange.

"That does sound strange..." Haruka rubbed her chin in thought, but no answers were coming to her. Truth be told, neither she nor Chihaya were that close to Iori. In fact, it seemed like only Yayoi was anything close to close to her. That left her struggling to find the right thing to say that would make Miki feel better. She didn't want to give up and leave her to worry, though. "Maybe we should talk to Yayoi. She seems to be pretty close to Iori."

"Hmm..." That's what she had been thinking too. She smiled, feeling a bit more energized. "Okay! That's a good idea, Haruka." She surged forward with her newfound energy, walking ahead of her friends. Chihaya and Haruka looked at each other again, matching each other's shrugs with a smile. Miki was more confident now that she was going to get some answers to what was going on with Iori.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know." Okay, maybe she wasn't going to get those answers. "I have noticed that she's seemed a bit... _off_ lately, but I haven't found a good moment to ask her what's going on." Miki sighed and flopped onto the couch. The tug of sleep was strong, but she resisted. Normally she'd be happy to just lay down on the studio's couch and sleep peacefully, but she had work to do. No more long midday naps for Miki. "Something seemed to be upsetting her when we went to see your billboard."

"My billboard?" Miki frowned and sat up, looking at Yayoi curiously. "My... My new advertisement?"

"Mhm. That's the one." Yayoi nodded, leaning back against the couch. "She's also been looking at the schedule a lot. More than usual, I mean. She won't tell me why, though. It seems weird, though." Miki nodded in agreement. It did seem weird, but she was having trouble putting the pieces together. She'd never been much good at puzzles. "She's got a new mature look too."

"She did mention that once or twice." There was something there. The 'off' behavior, the focus on maturity. What was going on, though? _'Think, Miki, think!'_ She curled her hand into a fist and knocked it against her temple a couple of times, trying to forcibly put her mind to work. Ah shoot, she wasn't going to come up with anything. It was right there and she just couldn't wrap her mind around it. If she wanted to get answers, there was only one way to do it: ask Iori herself. It was time to solve the mystery of the former Forehead Girl.

* * *

She leaned against the roof's railing, looking down at the streetlights flickering on. With a soft sigh, she squeezed her arm against her body reflexively. She really missed Charles right now. Standing on the rooftop and having a contemplative moment had never been her thing: she'd always imagined that it was the kind of thing someone like Chihaya or Takane would do. It was something she needed now, though, and there was no one else she felt like talking to about this. Not even Yayoi.

"Forehead Girl?" Cringing, Iori whipped around to find Miki standing at the top of the stairs. She smiled and waved, a friendly sign that was not returned. "You're covering your forehead now, though. That's weird, Iori." That caught her off guard. She couldn't remember Miki ever calling her by her actual name. That didn't matter, though. She didn't want to talk to Miki. She was the reason all of this was happening in the first place. With a scowl, she turned back around without answering, continuing to stare out into the twilight.

"Is it because you're trying to seem more mature?" Iori's eyes widened, but she refused to look back again. She shouldn't have been surprised, but she hadn't expected Miki to figure it out. She'd always figured she was stupid, but that didn't seem as true anymore. Lately she'd been noticing that Miki was trying a lot harder to be an idol than she had been before. It seemed like a conscientious choice, but that just didn't seem like Miki. Though... this all didn't seem like herself either.

"You don't have to be mature to be an idol, though." Miki came over to stand next to Iori, looking at her while Iori continued staring out past all the various buildings. "There are plenty of cute idols, right? And you're cute, so it's perfect!" She smiled, but that smile faded quickly as Iori turned to her, an angry look on her face.

"How dare you! That's not enough for me!" She had lost her temper again. It was so easy when she was around her fellow idols: especially Miki. Her face was starting to grow red as she couldn't stop herself from shouting. "I'm not here just to be another idol, you absolute buffoon! I have to be the best! Being a cute little girl isn't going to get me anywhere!" She dug her nails into her palms, feeling them pierce her skin. "I'm not going to let you or anyone else pass me!"

"How would I pass you?" Miki tilted her head, noting the wild, fearful anger in Iori's eyes. "I mean, I could walk by you, I guess."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Miki felt like she could see smoke coming from Iori's nostrils. She was really worked up now. "I have to be the best idol. I have to be! And if I have to give up my childish tendencies, then I will do it!" Again she thought of Charles, and again she felt pangs of guilt in her heart. It was for the best, though. Even if it hurt, she needed to do it. This was something Miki would never understand.

"But weren't you already a good idol with Charlie? You were picked to be part of Ryuuguu Komachi." She was surprised that being part of Ritsuko's group wouldn't be good enough for Iori. After all, she really, really wanted to be in that group too. That'd be the pinnacle of her idol-ness. "Isn't that good enough?"

"No, that's _not_ good enough! That's not good enough for me, and it's not good enough for my family!" Her eyes widened, instantly shutting her mouth. The damage had been done, though. On complete accident, she'd revealed something that she hadn't wanted to admit. None of them were supposed to know that she was so desperate to make her parents proud of her: to make them recognize her as just as successful a child as her older brothers. How could she say that out loud, and to Miki of all people?

"Why would your family not approve of how you're doing?" It didn't make any sense to Miki. She couldn't imagine her parents not being proud of her, no matter what direction she took. Even when she'd been a teensy bit lazy, she'd never been judged for it. She couldn't imagine Iori's parents being that strict, especially since she was doing so well.

"You wouldn't understand!" Whenever she would get angry like this, she also had Charles in her arms to give her a soft, fluffy anchor. Now she didn't have that, and it made her insides churn miserably. "My father is a very powerful CEO, and my brothers are following in his footsteps. Everything they do is perfect, and our parents are so damn proud of them. If I don't become the best idol here, then they'll never feel the same way about me!" Sucking in air, she turned away from Miki and tried to walk away. She couldn't stay there a moment longer discussing this topic.

"Hey hey, wait!" Miki reached out and grabbed Iori's arm before she could leave, holding on tight as Iori tried to tug her way out of her grasp. "It's not fair of them to expect that much from you. You're your own person." Iori stopped trying to escape, giving Miki a chance to further make her case. "We all think that you're doing great as an idol! Besides, you're still young. We all are. You've got time to become the best idol ever. Do you not think you can do it?"

"Eh?! Of course I do!" Iori pulled away from Miki and crossed her arms. "I don't even need that much time to do it either!" That sounded more like Iori. Miki smiled and stepped forward, pulling Iori into a hug. "Excuse me, but what are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a hug, Forehead Girl." Iori stiffened in her arms, making her giggle. "Are you going to still obsess over being mature? 'cause you've been worrying me with all that."

"I... didn't mean to worry anyone." She frowned slightly, tentatively hugging Miki back. "I'll try not to obsess about it so much, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go back entirely to how things were. It's important for idols to change sometimes."

"Okay, okay." Miki pulled back from the hug, smiling and putting her hands on Iori's shoulders. "Will you at least bring Charlie back, though? It just isn't right to come to work and not see him here."

"It's _Charles_ , and yes, fine, I suppose I can continue to bring him to the studio." She sighed dramatically, but in truth, she had really been missing her stuffed rabbit ever since she put him away in the closet. There had been multiple temptations to seek him out, but she'd held back, wanting to keep away from that childish part of herself. It had been hard, though, and it still was. He wasn't only her friend, but a security plush as well. Having him in her arms made her feel like things either were okay, or would end up okay.

"Yay!" Miki hugged Iori again, quick enough to where she couldn't even raise a proper complaint. She couldn't wait to tell Yayoi that things were finally going to be back to normal.

* * *

When Iori came into the studio the next day, Miki immediately looked to her arms to see if Charlie had returned with her. To her delight, she saw the cute lil' bunny hugged to Iori's stomach, his ears flopping over his eyes. She hopped up off the couch and went right to Yayoi, whom she poked and pointed to Iori. When Yayoi saw what Miki was pointing at, she smiled brightly.

"It's the return of Charles Donatello XVIII," she recited from memory, high-fiving Miki. "Looks like things are finally getting back to normal."

"Oh hey, Makoto?" Iori came up behind her, a grin on her face as Makoto looked over her shoulder. "There's a spider on your back."

"What?!" Makoto yelped and started swatting at her back, jumping around on the spot. "Get it off, get it off!" Her yelling drew the attention of the others in the room as Iori was nearly doubled over in laughter. Makoto stopped and let her arms fall to her sides, her face turning red as she realized that Iori had likely been making it all up. "Dammit, Iori!"

"Yup," Miki drawled, laughing along with most of the other idols. "Back to normal."


End file.
